Hardenbergia violacea plant named ‘Rambospray’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hardenbergia violacea  plant named ‘Rambospray’, characterized by its purple-colored flowers, upright and compact plant growth habit, freely branching, dense growth, lightly twining stem, early flowering season, erect inflorescence attitude, and a high level of flower production.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Hardenbergia violacea.

Variety denomination: ‘Rambospray’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety ofHardenbergia violacea, which has been given the variety denomination of‘Rambospray’. Its market class is that of an ornamental plant.‘Rambospray’ is intended for use in landscaping and as a decorativeplant.

The new Hardenbergia violacea cultivar is a seedling selectiondiscovered in a controlled planting of the species Hardenbergiaviolacea, not patented. The new cultivar was discovered and selected asa single plant within a population of plants of Hardenbergia violaceaduring June 2003 in a controlled environment at Tuggerah, New SouthWales, Australia.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by in vitro propagation ofmicro-plants since September 2006 at Tuggerah, New South Wales,Australia has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to typewith all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed andretained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Rambospray’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Hardenbergia violacea plant:

-   -   1. Purple-colored flowers;    -   2. Upright and compact plant growth habit;    -   3. Freely branching;    -   4. Dense growth;    -   5. Lightly twining stem;    -   6. Early flowering season;    -   7. Erect inflorescence attitude; and    -   8. A high level of flower production.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the Hardenbergiaviolacea parent species primarily in having a shorter plant height witha shorter, less twining stem and earlier time to first flower.

Of the many commercially available Hardenbergia violacea cultivars, themost similar in comparison to the new cultivar is ‘Sweet Heart’, notpatented. However, in side by side comparisons, plants of the newcultivar differ from plants of ‘Sweet Heart’ in at least the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have an earlier time to first        flower than plants of ‘Sweet Heart’; and    -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have a darker purple flower color        than plants of ‘Sweet Heart’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Rambospray’.

FIG. 1 illustrates a ‘Rambospray’ plant in a 40 cm pot grown forapproximately 60 weeks.

FIG. 2 illustrates a ‘Rambospray’ plant in a 20 cm pot grown forapproximately 26 weeks.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of the foliage of ‘Rambospray’.

FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up view of an individual inflorescence of‘Rambospray’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed botanical description of a new and distinctvariety of a Hardenbergia violacea ornamental plant known as‘Rambospray’. Plant observations were made on plants grown in Tuggerah,New South Wales, Australia. Unless indicated otherwise, the descriptionsdisclosed herein are based upon observations made from June 2008 ofmature ‘Rambospray’ plants grown in nursery pots in greenhouse andoutdoor growing areas with day temperature ranging from 25° C. to 27°C., night temperatures ranging from 6° C. to 8° C., and light levelsranging from 6 to 8 klux. Plants were grown for about 60 weeks with oneplant per 40 cm container. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatcertain characteristics will vary with older or, conversely, youngerplants. ‘Rambospray’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. Where dimensions, sizes, colors and othercharacteristics are given, it is to be understood that suchcharacteristics are approximations or averages set forth as accuratelyas practicable. The phenotype of the variety may vary with variations inthe environment such as season, temperature, light quality, lightintensity, day length, cultural conditions and the like. Color notationsare based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, of The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, 2007 edition.

-   Botanical classification: Hardenbergia violacea cultivar Rambospray.-   Parentage:    -   -   Parent.—Hardenbergia violacea species, not patented.

Propagation:

-   -   -   Type.—Cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 to 14 days at a            temperature of approximately 25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at a            temperature of approximately 15° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 21 to 28 days            at a temperature of approximately 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 30 to 35 days            at a temperature of approximately 15° C.        -   Root description.—Thick, freely branching and white in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright, bushy and            outwardly spreading plant habit with lightly twining stems            with purple-colored flowers on erect inflorescences borne            from axillary positions on the stem. Moderately vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—Average plant height including the            inflorescence is about 110 cm (range 100 to 120 cm) in a            garden plant grown in soil.        -   Plant diameter.—Average plant spread of a mature plant grown            in a garden plant grown in soil in Tuggerah, New South            Wales, Australia is 130 cm (observed winter 2008).        -   Stem.—Freely branching with short internode length (range            3.0 to 4.5 cm), diameter of new season growth 2.0 to 3.0 mm.            Color of immature stem: 166A. Color of mature stem: 195A            striped with 166B. Texture: Smooth, glabrous twining of stem            is light (usually less than 20 cm) compared to wild types            which may climb to a height of 2 m.

-   Foliage description:    -   -   General description .—Leaf attitude is            horizontal/semi-erect. Arrangement: alternate, simple;            petiolate.        -   Leaves.—Length: About 70 to 75 mm in a mature plant. Width:            About 26 to 35 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse in profile            with inconspicuous mucronulate type point hooked away to            underside . Base: Subcordate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:            pinnate. Immature leaf: Color of the upper and lower            surfaces: N199B. Mature leaf: Color of the upper surface:            147A. Color of the lower surface: 191A. Petiole: length 1.0            to 1.4 cm, color on a new leaf 176A, color on an older leaf            146C.

-   Flower description:    -   -   General description.—Flowers arranged singly on axillary            racemes. Freely flowering, non-persistent. Inflorescence:            attitude is erect, length of raceme about 10.0 to 12.5 cm,            diameter of raceme: About 3.5 to 4.5 cm. Number of flowers            per raceme is 26 to 34. Flower diameter: About 1.2 cm            measured across the standard petal. Flower height: About 9.0            mm measured from the top of the standard petal to the base            of the keel petal.        -   Natural flowering season.—‘Rambospray’ has an early            flowering season under outdoor growing conditions commencing            in early June and continuing to late September in Tuggerah,            New South Wales, Australia.        -   Bud just before opening.—Length: About 5.0 mm. Width: About            3.0 mm. Texture: smooth. Color: N81A.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: typical pea type flower with standard,            wing and keel petals. Standard petal: width: 12 mm, height            9.0 mm, shape rounded, margin entire. Wing petals: length:            5.0 mm, width 3.5 mm, shape obovate, margin entire. Keel            petal: shape falcate, margin entire, length: 3.5 to 4.0 mm,            width 2 mm. Main color of all petals upper side and lower            side N82A. Markings on standard petal present and forming a            symmetrical pattern from basal section of midrib (eye like            pattern), marking lengths about 3.0 mm, marking widths about            1.3 mm, color of markings 150C.        -   Calyx.—Length: About 4.0 mm. Sepals united. Texture: smooth.            Color: 146A with anthocyanin coloration of 187A.        -   Peduncle (flowering stems).—Strength: Strong, flexible.            Attitude: Erect. Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter at base:            About 3.0 mm. Texture: smooth. Color: 176A.        -   Pedicels (individual flower stems).—Length: About 7.5 mm            (range 5.5 to 8.5 mm). Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Strong and            flexible. Color: 176A.

-   Seed and fruit production: Pod length: 3.0 to 5.0 cm. Pod Color:    immature color of 147A maturing to 200A. Seed length: Approximately    5.0 mm. Seed color: 197A.

-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Hardenbergia has not been observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hardenbergia violacea plant named‘Rambospray’, substantially as herein shown and described.